Warning: Without This Essential Skill You Can’t Build a Thriving Small Group Ministry
I believe there is an essential skill that is missing in almost every case where building a thriving small group ministry proves difficult. What is it? I believe it is the ability to speak the truth in love.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus the Apostle Paul wrote, "We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."
Whether we simply haven't developed the skill or ability to speak the truth in love, or perhaps we lack the courage to speak the truth, I am more convinced every day that if this essential skill missing build anything of significance.
1. Speaking the truth in love is essential if you want to build an effective coaching structure.
Do you have coaches who like wearing the name tag but never show up in the lives of leaders who haven't yet experienced the life-change they desperately need?
Only the right men and women can do what needs to be done by a coach. Keeping a coach on the team who is not capable or not willing to do the job weakens the entire structure.
Only the right men and women can do what needs to be done by a coach. Keeping a coach on the team who is not capable or not willing to do the job weakens the entire structure. Click To Tweet
2. Speaking the truth in love is essential if you want to develop and disciple leaders.
If all you do is make it easy to begin as a leader but never personally invest in developing and discipling them, you cannot expect them to become the kind of leaders who will disciple members.
If all you do is make it easy to begin as a leader but never personally invest in developing and discipling them, you cannot expect them to become the kind of leaders who will disciple members. Click To Tweet
3. Speaking the truth in love is essential if you want your groups themselves to be circles of mutual care.
If it's easy to join a group but the group members never learn to speak the truth in love to one another, they will never be more than surface level acquaintances.
If it's easy to join a group but the group members never learn to speak the truth in love to one another, they will never be more than surface level acquaintances.. Click To Tweet
Can I give you a simple test to see if you've developed the skill?
- Do you have coaches who are really aren't the right people?
- Do you have leaders who aren't growing in Christ?
- Do you have groups of surface level acquaintances?
How'd you do? If you're like me...hopefully you are seeing room for improvement and an area to focus on in training.
Image by Neil Moralee
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